Or, at the least, start thinking really seriously about the route it might take.

The Toronto Marlies, dominant throughout the 2017-18 American Hockey League regular season, are within one victory of winning the Calder Cup.

On Saturday night in Cedar Park, Texas, the Marlies were relentless early and never let up, beating the Texas Stars 6-2 in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven final.

History is on the side of the Marlies, not that they might require it after running up an AHL-best 112 points in the regular season before winning 14 of 18 playoff games, including Saturday.

In the history of the final, the team winning Game 5 in a best-of-seven that was tied 2-2 has gone on to win the championship 19 of 20 times. Game 6 is on Tuesday at the Ricoh Coliseum.

“It’s not necessarily where you win it, it’s just putting yourself in a position to win it,” Marlies forward Colin Greening told Paul Hendrick of Leafs Nation Network after the game. “We have max two games left, we have an opportunity at home. We have last change, which is important. It’s a special time, and I’m just glad that now that we’re going back to Ricoh, we do have that 3-2 lead.”

After each of the previous four games in the series was decided by one goal, the Marlies were the stronger club from the opening faceoff and scored a pair of goals in a span of 47 seconds before 2 1/2 minutes had expired in the first period.

Andreas Johnsson, headed for a regular role with the Maple Leafs next season, scored on a breakaway at 1:32, beating goalie Mike McKenna with a backhand deke after Stars defenceman Brent Regner misplayed the puck at the Toronto blue line. It was 2-0 at 2:19 when Trevor Moore, who helped the Marlies’ fourth line set a forechecking tone, reached around the Stars’ Matt Mangene to beat McKenna.

POINT SHOTS

The Marlies didn’t flinch — not that the best teams do in the face of a bit of adversity — when Texas got on the board at 4:06 of the second period as Gavin Bayreuther scored on a shot from the point, seconds after Frederik Gauthier lost a faceoff to Brian Flynn. Less than four minutes later, the Marlies responded when Greening scored on a pass from Chris Mueller, and Toronto kept coming, scoring its fourth goal 62 seconds later. That gave the Marlies a 4-1 lead when Johnsson fed defenceman Calle Rosen, who stepped around Justin Dowling and went high on McKenna’s glove side … Rosen scored as pretty a goal at 17:07 of the middle period when he swept down the ice and scored on McKenna’s blocker side. That’s four goals for Rosen in 14 playoff games after he had four in 62 games during the regular season … The Marlies didn’t have defenceman Travis Dermott, who is listed as day to day with an upper-body injury. Dermott appeared to be nursing his left shoulder after a collision with the Stars’ Jason Dickinson in Game 4. With Dermott out, Andrew Nielsen played in his first game since May 6 … The Stars were held to just six shots on goal in the opening period, and on one of their best scoring chances, Remi Elie swept in and shot wide of goalie Garret Sparks on a backhand … Carl Grundstrom scored his first goal of the series in the third period. The Stars’ Sheldon Dries scored 15 seconds later … Sparks finished with 23 saves.

FROM THE HASH MARKS

The Marlies’ top line of Johnsson, Miro Aaltonen and Grundstrom combined for six points after it had combined for three in the previous four games … A Calder Cup would be a first for the Marlies. They were swept in 2012 by Norfolk in the final … Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe was in a bit of a reflective mood following the Marlies’ morning skate, glancing back on the road the club took to get to Saturday night. “It’s all about perspective,” Keefe said. “It has been a long, long journey to get to this point but at the same time, it goes by fairly quickly. And before you know it, here you are coming up to mid-June. We’re very fortunate to be here, we feel good about that fact that we are here. We also know and recognize that we earned our way here.” Whether Keefe has reason to be further reflective in the days after the series is done will be intriguing to watch. Speculation persists about a possible reunion with Lou Lamoriello, now running the New York Islanders.

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